Counseling Irvine

Counseling Irvine - For a Life That Feels Whole Again

You Want More from Your Relationships…

…But Something Keeps Getting in the Way

You want to feel close. Safe. Chosen.

But too often, conversations turn into conflict. You find yourself shutting down, getting reactive, or pulling away—even when you don’t want to. It’s like something deeper takes over. You’re left wondering, Why is this so hard? Why does this hurt so much?

Whether it’s with a partner, a parent, a friend, or even your child, you know you’re capable of connection. But the same patterns keep repeating. Misunderstandings. Distance. The quiet ache of not feeling fully seen or understood.

You’re not broken. You’re not too sensitive.
 There’s likely more to the story.

Old Wounds Can Still Echo…

…Even If You Don’t Talk About Them

Many of us carry pain from long before we could name it.

• The fear of being too much.

• The shame of not being enough.

• The feeling that love has to be earned.

These patterns often begin in childhood, and they don’t just fade with time. They show up in adult relationships, in the way we cope, in how we see ourselves.

If you were adopted, this can feel even more complex. Maybe your parents did their best, but there was always a space between you. Maybe you’ve carried unspoken questions about where you come from, or who you really are beneath the “grateful” or “well-adjusted” version of you.

It’s not about blaming the past. It’s about understanding how the past still lives in you—and giving it the care it never got.

There’s a Way Through…

…One That Doesn’t Involve Pretending You’re Fine

Healing doesn’t mean going back and reliving everything.

It means learning to feel safe again: in your body, in your story, in your relationships. It means untangling the old narratives that tell you you’re too much, too needy, too broken, and replacing them with something truer.

In therapy, we slow things down. We make space for what’s been buried or ignored. We reconnect the dots between what happened then and how you feel now. And from that place, real change begins; not just in how you think, but in how you relate, love, trust, and live.

Whether you’re here because of relationship struggles, childhood trauma, adoption wounds, or a deep need to feel like yourself again, this is a place where your story gets to matter.

Let’s begin.

Hi, I’m Karl

I Help People Reconnect — With Themselves and Each Other

I’m a therapist in Irvine, CA, specializing in relationships, trauma, and adoption. I work with people who are tired of feeling stuck, whether that’s in a marriage, a family dynamic, a sense of identity, or an inner world that just doesn’t feel like home.

My clients are often thoughtful, capable, and caring, and they question their worth when all they really want is to feel safe and loved. They carry old stories about not being enough, not belonging, or needing to hold it all together for everyone else.

Sometimes those stories come from early childhood: quiet wounds that never got named but still echo today. Sometimes they’re rooted in the complexity of adoption: the love and gratitude mixed with grief, confusion, and a longing to feel fully known. And sometimes, it’s the kind of trauma that doesn’t come from one big event, but from years of disconnection: feeling unseen, unheard, or emotionally alone.

You may have tried to make sense of it all by yourself, by reading the books, listening to the podcasts, even leaning on technology that sounded like it understood you, but left you feeling more lost.

The truth is, what we all need isn’t perfect advice or constant validation. We need to feel seen. We need to feel safe. We need a real, human connection.

Contact me for a free consultation for Counseling Irvine

I know it can feel like a big step to call a therapist, but we’ll spend 15 minutes on the phone and I’ll let you know how or if I can help. If I am not the right person, I’ll do my best to get you to the right person. Contact me at (949) 922-0734 for your free 15-minute phone consultation for counseling in Irvine.

Discover how working with a therapist who understands you and has a plan to help, can make all the difference. My specialties include relationships, adoption, trauma and AI psychosis.